


all part of the plan

by awkwardspaceturtle



Category: Scooby Doo - All Media Types
Genre: Crack, Drabble, F/M, Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:21:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24945295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awkwardspaceturtle/pseuds/awkwardspaceturtle
Summary: An unmasked villain wants to get to the bottom of the Fred and Daphne relationship, despite them going off-script to let the villain say anything beyond the "meddling kids" speech.
Relationships: Daphne Blake/Fred Jones
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	all part of the plan

**Author's Note:**

> this is the result of me going down the scooby rabbit-hole the past couple of days, and wanting to write something fraphne since forever. i'll do a proper fic with plot next time

And so the case of the Honeymoon Resort Harpy finally comes to a close as this week's unmasked villain cries out, "And I would've gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for those meddling kids!"

On cue, the gang laughs good-naturedly, the officers prepare to take the perp away because that's all they're good at in this story, and the eponymous canine-hero Scooby Doo is about to look into the camera to say his episode-ending catchphrase in full fidelity of the story formula, when the Harpy suddenly narrows their eyes at Fred and Daphne. 

"And while we're throwing compliments at how brilliant you all are as a mystery-solving group," they begin, inviting everyone's attention, "Let me just say, you two really put it all on the line. I mean, making yourselves bait and using your actual honeymoon to lure me out? I know you guys got me a one-way ticket to a reckoning, but damn, you guys make me wanna have what you got!"

Fred and Daphne exchange looks with each other before looking puzzedly at the Harpy. Behind them, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby are blinking slowly with resigned faces. 

"What actual honeymoon?" Fred shrugs, his signature lopsided smile on his face. 

"I'll be taking that as a compliment to my acting," Daphne flips one side of her hair, visibly proud of their work. 

"Wait, acting?" The Harpy says, their face falling in a mixture of disappointment and disbelief. 

"Well, there's Mother to thank for that," Daphne says. "All those years in theater really paid off."

"What's your excuse?" The Harpy says, turning to Fred. 

"I say, if you plan an elaborate trap, you gotta commit to it."

Behind them, the other three-fifths of the gang are looking at the Harpy with knowing eyes and flat lines in place of their mouth. 

"Oh, I see. They're that kind of 'couple', huh?" The Harpy looks at them sympathetically. 

"Couple?" Fred and Daphne say in unison. 

"You know, slow-burn? The 'will-they, won't-they' when-will-they-ever-get-together type that will throw fans in a frenzy over the subtle hints you throw at them without a clear canonical emotional conclusion?"

"Okay, I admit you kind of lost me there." Fred says. 

"Wow. Imagine having to deal with this, like DTR already, right?"

"Tell us about it." Velma says flatly. "Feels like 50 years of this already."

One of the officers holding the Harpy tries to step in. "Okay, that should be enough screen time for a villain at the end of a mystery. Please let us fulfill our roles and let us take you away to--"

"Hold it, hold it," the Harpy raises a cuffed hand. "I'm getting real invested in this already." Around them, the rest of the cast who spent the entire ordeal being key suspects and/or plot devices all nod and murmur their agreement. 

"So... You guys really jumping on this bandwagon?" The other officer says as if he was an extra that wasn't getting paid enough. Everyone nods and murmurs like an animator's economic choice to repeat a scene, and the officers finally concede to their request. 

"Great, so let me ask you," the Harpy turns back to Fred and Daphne and says with the likeness of a romcom lead's best friend who knows the two main characters were eventually going to hook up, "You guys booked a couple's honeymoon cabin for an entire week just so you can infiltrate the resort and investigate, went on the newly-weds tour package, and even bought fake rings just to solve a mystery?"

Everyone (save for Velma, Shaggy and Scooby, who are literally living the lives of said romcom BFFs) looks at the two in question.

"We needed a base of operations to talk strategies, discuss the clues we found, and for Freddie and I to cook up a credible proposal and marriage story," Daphne answers without missing a beat.

"The cabin was big enough for the whole gang to fit into," Fred says. "We pack sleeping bags in the Mystery Machine, so we actually saved on requesting for more beds."

In the background, the manager shrugs nonchalantly. "Eh, they solved this mystery, so I can let that slide off the tab."

"We also had to go on those tours because we were investigating everbody," Daphne says. "Everyone who went missing were couples who availed of the package after all."

"Okay, unbelievably rational, but no one buys matching wedding rings just for this, I think?" Their unmasked villain is getting rightfully frustrated. 

As the usual choice for bait, Shaggy steps in with an explanation. "Like, costumes and all sorts of props just become readily available to us at the most convenient times, man."

"Yeah," Scooby interjects, always at the conversational heel of his best friend. "I mean, have you met us?"

In his paws is a pocket-sized photo album filled with pictures of the gang in different solved cases wearing various costumes that the mystery demanded. No one in the ensemble questions why Scooby has such an album and the comedic timing in which he presents it. 

Velma offers her advice. "Yeah, that's one aspect of us I wouldn't overthink about, and that's coming from me."

"Fake rings." Says the Harpy, sinking into hopelessness. 

"Fake rings," Fred and Daphne echo in confirmation. 

"We are teenagers, after all, canonically," Fred adds. "Come to think of it, we're supposed to still be in college."

"I can't believe this. The romantic story in my head is in shambles. Give me something good to take with me, I'm going to prison after all!"

"How about a Scooby Snack?" Scooby offers. "These always cheer me up when I'm down."

"Would you look at that? I'm being comforted by the dog that caught me." The Harpy sighs without taking the biscuit-like treat, and lets themself be towed out of the scene. 

"I guess that about wraps the whole thing up." Velma shrugs.

"Yep," Fred says as they look on while the Harpy cries into the officer's shoulder. "Looks like it's time to pack up and get on the road again for our next mystery."

"Like, how about we just get on the road for some regular pizza in a regular ghost-free establishment?" Shaggy sags into his lanky shoulders. "Isn't it weird that every place we've been to has a mystery? It's like every crook thinks the only way to do crime is to dress up like it's Holloween and scare people."

"This is one of those things you're better off not overthinking, Shag."

"The only thing I'm thinking about right now is food!"

"Great advice, Scoob!" And just like that, Shaggy brightens up, all thought erased in favor of gastronomic fantasies.

Behind them, Fred and Daphne hang back just a little bit and walk apart from the group.

"Hm, I guess I'll be hanging on to this ring for a while longer," Daphne says as she looks fondly at her jewelled finger. "Looks good on me, I think."

"Yeah, I think my hand has gotten used to the feel of it there." Fred raises his left hand to mirror it against Daphne's open palm. The setting sun bounces off the smooth surfaces of the matching rings as they share a silent lingering smile before walking back to join the gang.

They don't notice Velma looking at them behind her shoulder, and over at Shaggy and Scooby who are already singing an original pizza song on an offkey beat. A doting smile forms on her face. 

"Well, there's one romance that is always in our faces: these two, and food."


End file.
